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From a very early age I knew that I was destined for so much more than my little island had to offer, and by the grace of God, and plenty of hard work and determination I was able to prove that no matter where you come from, you can achieve your dreams. That is why I am beyond honoured to be awarded Asia’s Fashion and Lifestyle Face Award, Asia’s Most Admired Personality Award, Asia’s Outstanding Achiever Award, Asia’s Young Fashion Maker Award, and Asia’s Excellence Award in Fashion Industry by Asia Awards powered by Rula Awards. 

My name is Jaadhullah Ismail and I hail from a southern island from the Maldives, GDh.Thinadhoo. I was born to a family where my sisters already had a passion for making clothes, and through them and my own curiosity, I felt within me a yearning to create my own designs. That would prove to be tough for a little boy growing up in a peripheral island in my country, where societal norms looked down on those that defied gender norms, nevertheless I prevailed on my journey to chase my goals. 

I have been designing clothes since 1996, making 2021 my 25^th year in this industry. For me to have successfully maintained my brand ‘Jaadhu’ for this long a period speaks to how much the public accepts me and my designs, as there are only a few others if any who have achieved the same feat. What started out as me making clothes for those nearest and dearest to me, has ended with me designing clothes for international stars. Some of my greatest achievements in the field of fashion design include winning the National Award for Best Fashion Designer in 1999, winning the Presidential Award in Fashion Designing in 2011, and winning the National Youth Award in Fashion Designing in 2013. In 2005 I also held a fashion show titled ‘Breeze’ to showcase my designs. This was the first time in the Maldives that a solo designer held a show to commemorate their designs, and to date it is also the biggest Maldivian fashion show ever held, with 44 models displaying 145 unique designs to a large audience. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with Miss Universe Sri Lanka to design clothes for the pageant’s competitors and had the honour of winning Best Fashion Designer in 2007. I also received First Place in both Casual and Party wear, as well as All Around First Place in the Fashion Unlimited fashion show held in Male’ in 2009. I also have carried out many workshops all over the Maldives to train new talent in designing and dressmaking, and have disseminated my knowledge and experience to countless up and coming designers and dressmakers, which I take great pride in.

In addition to designing, I also have a passion towards choreography and have been a choreographer for over twenty years. Since school days, I have always been at the forefront of organizing dances, but it was when I joined the Maldivian National Defence Force (also known as MNDF, the equivalent to the national army) in 1998 that I truly got the opportunity to pursue my love of choreography. Joining MNDF not only opened new doors for me in this field, I also got the opportunity to train and learn new skills with regards to choreography. I was involved in organizing and performing the first ever tap dance performance in the Maldives at the Millenium Show, an opportunity I got as a member of the MNDF. I look back fondly on my five years at MNDF and one year in the Maldives Police Force as they strengthened my resolve to remain a choreographer. 

So far I have choreographed for more than 40 video songs and numerous films and TV dramas, and having lent my skills for free to those who needed it brings me much joy and satisfaction. Notably, I was involved in providing costumes as well as choreographing and performing for the 2004 Benefit for Tsunami Victims, which was a huge success and part of the reason why I became a prominent choreographer in my country. I also had the honour of forming a dance group by the name of ‘Harubee’ with seven male and seven female dancers, and our group won a nationwide audition and received the opportunity to represent Maldives at the 2006 Dubai Tourism Fair. Another notable project would be the formation of the dance group ‘Ras Rani’, aimed at revitalizing the dying traditional dance forms of Maldives. Through this project, I was able to introduce more than 50 dancers to the field, and it also raised awareness about our culture and traditions, which I consider a huge win. Through my choreography, I have represented my country at more than 11 international events at locations such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, and China. In addition to this, I have also had the honour of performing with international stars and icons such as the Bollywood actor Salman Khan for the India-Maldives Friendship Day in 2010, as well as the Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. 

I have also choreographed Eid shows for more than 28 islands and more than 15 resorts throughout the Maldives. I also have had the chance to choreograph and perform for many charity events, including the Tiny Hearts of Maldives, Thalassaemia Society, as well as benefits for the water crisis of Male’, the COVID-19 pandemic, and an event I personally initiated to raise funds against the injustice towards the Palestinian people. 

For my work as a choreographer, I have won numerous accolades, including the Silver Star Award in 2015, an Award of Appreciation from the Maldives Film Association in 2015, an Award commemorating my work for the India-Maldives Friendship Day by the Indian High Commission in 2010, as well as an Award of Appreciation at the Democracy Fair 2009. However, my greatest accomplishment has been training and introducing more than 100 new artists as models, dancers, and actors to the Maldivian film industry.

Other than designing and choreography, I also have a longstanding career in performing and acting. I have acted in numerous video songs and successfully released two VCDs with appearances from some of the top actors in the country. My songs have performed exceptionally well, with some songs staying at the top of the charts for weeks on end. In total, I have performed in more than 21 video songs. I have also acted in two major movies, ‘Neydhen Vakivaakah’, and ‘Dhevan Soora’, which were both successful hits among the public. In ‘Neydhen Vakivaakah’ I had the chance to play one of the lead roles, which was a very rewarding experience for me. In addition to this, I acted in the first Maldivian web series, ‘Huvaa’, which got me a lot of love and praise from the audience and critics.

I am eternally grateful to all who had a hand in me getting to where I am today, including all my friends, family, and colleagues, without whose support none of this would have been achievable. Working in this industry for this long, and having passed on my talent and skill to those junior to me, has been the single greatest honour of my lifetime. The fact that I am able to represent my country internationally, and serve my country through my passion is the biggest gift that can be bestowed upon a patriot. For someone who started out as a “nobody” and came from nothing, I have had to work extra hard to carve out a place for myself among the most prominent icons of the Maldivian arts industry. Let my life and career be an example and inspiration to all those who dream big.